How Retailers Can Boost Holiday Sales With Immersive Tech

The holiday season can be a tough period for retailers, with more customer interactions, sales and chances to leave a lasting brand impression. However, in today's constantly changing retail world, businesses need fresh approaches to attract attention. This is where immersive technologies, such as 3D visualization and augmented reality (AR), come into play. Here's how retailers can leverage these tools to boost holiday sales.

Using 3D Product Images in Online Catalogs

The integration of 3D content into online shopping can help brands to stand out. This is especially true during the holidays, when consumers have an abundance of choice. The addition of 3D images to a brand’s online catalog also makes shopping more engaging and memorable, improving the overall customer experience. Time spent on a product page directly affects purchases. According to Google Benchmarking, in 2019, the average time on a product page for e-commerce websites was 38 seconds. However, research shows that purchase likelihood peaks at around 50 seconds.

Retailers should offer interactive and immersive content in order to increase the time on page. Data from Cappasity shows that 3D product images boost interaction time by 15 seconds to 30 seconds, depending on the product. This can raise the total time spent on a page by 40 percent, reaching the ideal 50–60 seconds and increasing purchase intent by 29 percent.

Integrating AR Technologies Into Online Stores and Shopping Malls

AR technology helps retailers reduce post-holiday returns, a growing issue in online shopping. A National Retail Federation study estimated that return rates were 15.4 percent during the 2023 holiday season. Factors such as longer shopping seasons and heavy discounts have contributed to the trend, which is expected to continue. One reason for online returns is the gap between product images and reality. AR addresses this by allowing consumers to visualize products in real-life settings or virtually try them on, leading to more informed purchases.

Furthermore, brands can bring the holiday in-store shopping experience to the next level with AR technology. They can simply print QR codes, which redirect shoppers to AR demonstrations of fashion pieces, as well as add them to item tags. The consumer just has to scan a QR code with their smartphone and they will be able to explore a whole outfit in their surrounding environment. Brands are also able to showcase out-of-stock items by placing a kiosk in-store to provide consumers with QR codes redirecting them to AR content.

Beyond the Holidays: 3D and AR Shaping the Future of Shopping

Immersive technologies are poised to become mainstream as more retailers incorporate them into the shopping experience. These technologies provide interactive and engaging experiences that enhance customer confidence and reduce return rates. By transforming how customers explore and interact with products, 3D and AR are revolutionizing the retail landscape, improving customer satisfaction and driving better outcomes for businesses.

Kosta Popov is the CEO and founder of Cappasity, the company providing an easy and scalable platform for creation, embedding and analysis of 3D and AR/VR content.